On living in New York City: “I think I was made to live in New York. I love it. I love being able to walk everywhere. And there’s so much going on—I actually get a little nervous on the weekends, wondering what to do and who to hang out with. When I used to watch Gossip Girl or Sex and the City, I thought the things that happened were totally exaggerated. But then I got here and realized they’re not. That’s what it’s really like!”

On if she ever gets hit on: “Never. Everyone always says that guys are intimidated by me…but I seriously doubt it. I mean, I’m five-foot-nothing! I think I must make a stank face.”

On school life: “I loved high school. Everyone always asks me if the other kids treated me differently because of my career, but they didn’t. If you act weird, people are going to treat you weird, but if you’re just yourself, people respond to that.”

On resisting roles on TV: “When I was younger, I didn’t want to be on TV. I made a conscious decision to stay away from Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel—not that they’re not great companies, but because I wanted to play different kinds of roles and have the freedom to choose my projects. So when my agent called about this job, I said no way. TV was too much of a commitment. I realized it was actually a really strong story. It had a lot of heart and integrity, and Carrie seems like a character that I can grow with.”